The Hunter's Encyclopedia
by Omega Zekrom
Summary: Many of you must have caught yourselves wondering: "Just what's inside a potion?" "Why doesn't a lagiacrus fry itself?" or even "How many laws of physics did I just break?" Well, wonder no more! In this definitive issue of The Hunter's Encyclopedia, all those questions - and more - will be answered!
1. Introduction

A word from the author

The world we live in is a wondrous place, for within this world are lands of extremes. From erupting volcanoes to frigid caves, from dense, humid forests to lifeless scorching sands, though some seem like the very cradle of life while others appear to be harsh zones that promise nothing but death, each contain unique creatures and support equally unique ecosystems. What many, nay, most of us view as primal beasts, cruel harbingers of destruction, all have their place in the world, and with their death leaves a void that no amount of effort on our part can fill. Even a savage Deviljho, the demon dubbed as the Eater of Worlds, has its part to play in ever-shifting but never breaking web of life.

But while this is a place where serpents of epic proportions lurk in the murky depths, where beasts capable of consuming mountains rampage, where drakes with shining scales scour the land for prey...

It is also a place where brave citizens, hunters and researchers alike, make it their duty to protect the rest of the (relatively peaceful) denizens. Of course, some hunters are merely after the money, while others wish to bask in the glory that comes with the killing of 'murderous beasts', but there are also some who truly want to gain a better understanding of the world, and even those who seek to live alongside monsters, working and living together.

This is a world which has baffled scientists for centuries, a world whose documentation is the life's goal of the more scholarly ones among us.

That was my goal. That _is_ my goal. To pass on to the next generation of people the message that we can't act like this forever. We need to _understand_ these monsters, turn them from being 'monsters' to simply 'creatures'. We can't continue like this, blindly killing the very beasts which bind the fabric of life together. And after years, no, decades of research, this is what I have: a trove of information bound within two tattered leather covers. From anecdotes to thesis papers, from legends to detailed reports, all gathered from keen-eyed people - humans, wyverians, troverians, felynes and more.

And I will share it with you, this great gathering of knowledge. I will share with you the understanding that we wish to control everything. What we cannot control, we fear. And what we fear...

... We destroy. So even if mastery over these creatures is impossible, let there at least be an understanding of their role. Let us drink the water they drink and breathe the air they breathe, until the day when the last creature dies with a spear in its chest, and we look up with the realization that a world without 'monsters' is a dark and terrible one indeed.

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Foreword

As mentioned, the _Encyclopedia_ is a conglomeration of a lifetime's - perhaps even multiple lifetime's - worth of knowledge, and as a result of its numerous contributors, the style of writing varies from chapter to chapter. For those of you who are solely interested in gathering more information in order to further your career (no, don't tell me, I have no need to know whether you're just another mercenary or a Guild-approved sharpshooter), there are compiled reports of the various monsters and situations you may face. These reports contain detailed information, much of which the flimsy Guild-issued guide books neglect to include. For those who are after the views of the world's people, there are also recounts of hunts and penned down versions of fire-side tales and legends.

Due to the varying degree of danger these creatures pose to people, I have allocated them a ranking according to a tiered classification system:

E is for most herbivores and placid beasts. D is for the majority of small monsters, such as Velociprey. Relatively easy to defeat large monsters fall into C, which includes monsters that beginner hunters should often be attempting to kill, like the dromes or Greats. B is the classification in which most large monsters fall under, like Gigginox and Duramboros. A, along with the tier above it, S, is reserved for the strongest and most threatening large monsters, like Brachydios, Deviljho, and Nargacuga. Class A monsters should be avoided at all times, with requests to hunt or drive them away undertaken by only the most experienced hunters, while Class S ones should never be approached, with even remote observation possibly being life-threatening.

But what about the myths ones, you ask? The ones whose names are synonymous with 'destruction' and 'chaos'? These god-like beings, like Teostra, Alatreon, and Ceadeus to name a few, are beyond A, beyond the tiered system. The key here is 'god-like'. They possess powers that we, and probably other monsters, view as mythical in nature, and so powerful and rare are these beings that I accord them the label 'Legend'. Though that single word does their vast prowess no justice (and may in fact result in eye rolls from readers), let it serve as a cue to all who read about them that they are not to be trifled with.

Now, enough about the book. It is time to delve into the world of monsters!

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Chapter list:

1) Report: Brachydios

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 **A/N: Alright! I've been toying with this idea for awhile now, but it took a series of exams (no joke) to bore me enough to actually write this. Essentially, it'll be a place for me to mess around with writing styles, while I mess around even _more_ with the Monster Hunter universe. Did I mention that ffn is sorely lacking in fics for MH? No? Well now I have. Anyway, the next chapter will come out hot on the heels of this pathetic excuse for an intro.**

 **It'll be great to receive advice on this fic, in order to improve my writing. If any of you have any particular monster, item, hell even an idea for a situation that you want written out, put it into a review or PM and I'll see if I can do something about it. As with some of my other fics, I'm accepting OCs. However, in this case there's no telling when they'll pop up, or their role of they do.**

 **Oh yes. I'll only be writing about monsters I know about. Seeing as how I only have MH3U and 4U, that severely limits my options.**


	2. Research: Brachydios

**Entry 1. Research: Brachydios**

General Information

Species: Brachydios

Family name: Brute Wyvern

Opening comments: Brachydios. A relatively recent addition to the already vast array of monsters in this world, they were first sighted no more than three years ago around a coastal volcano. Since then, they have been spotted in an increasing number of locations. Infamous for their characteristic explosive attacks, there was originally much debate over which family it should be classified under. In the end, scientists classed it as a Brute Wyvern, though ithere are ndividuals with some doubts.

Basic Physiology: The Brachydios is a bipedal 'wyvern', with thick, explosion resistant navy blue hide along its body which blend to obsidian black on the tail ridges. Its scales are practically impervious to heat, allowing it to withstand both the explosions from the slime mould and the high temperature of the lava it wades through.

Typical of the brute wyvern family, it has heavily-muscled legs, capable of propelling it over large distances with a single leap. Unlike the rest in its family, it boasts a large slime-coated horn, and rounded fists lacking fingers and claws. A Brachydios' tail is club-like in nature, and is covered with thick plates made of the same material as its fists.

Interestingly enough, Brachydios possess a single egg 'tooth' on the tip of their horn. This sharp, tough 'tooth' drops out soon after hatching, after the Brachydios has used it to chip apart its egg. It leaves behind a small indentation that stays with the Brachydios for its entire life.

Detailed Physiology: The Brachydios sets itself apart from the rest of its brethren due to both its slime - a species of volatile glowing slime mould - and its fists. One cannot be explained without first explaining the other.

The slime mould, from a family of bioluminscent macroscopic mould, lives symbiotically with the large wyvern. Surprisingly, the slime mould lives out the majority of its life cycle within the oral cavity of a Brachydios. The amoeba like slime mould thrives in the moist and warm habitat provided by the Brachydios, and in return consumes harmful bacteria and aids in decomposition of flesh from prey stuck between the sharp fangs. When in this form, it is difficult to remove the slime mould from the oral cavity.

In preparation for spreading its spores, the slime mould forms bioluminscent structures. These structures can be easily transported via the Brachydios' tongue from its mouth to its fists. A secretion on its skin prevents premature explosion of the slime mould's spore-containing vessels. Due to vigorous motions, such as the host wyvern punching the ground or rival monsters, the slime mould is transferred to other surfaces _devoid_ of the explosion-preventing secretion. This triggers the slime mould's explosive spore dispersal, scattering microscopic spores in a large radius itself.

Note that the species of slime mould living on its skin and horns differs from the one that resides within the Brachydios' oral cavity and on its fists. (The former reaches maturity faster, and is more aggressive in terms of spore dispersal.)

A Brachydios' 'fists' are actually fused claws. Juvenile Brachydios are born with thick, separated claws joined at the base without a wrist joint. These claws originally allow the juvenile to hunt for small insects and mammals on which it feeds on. However, after its first few meals, the Brachydios will attempt to clean itself and, in the process of doing so, coat its claws with a layer of immature slime mould. The slime mould secretes a sticky substance as it grows to anchor itself, binding the claws together. Though the substance on its own should be unable to successfully join the claws, scales that grow beneath this secretion have a tendency to be thicker and interconnected. In other words, after the Brachydios' first molt the secretion will be removed along with the molted skin, but the new scales will already be formed joined together.

This curious secretion-enhanced growth is also the reason why Brachydios generally have tougher hide on their fists and horns, and why the relative age of Brachydios can be determined by the width of their fists.

When enraged, strips of slime mould along its shoulders, arms, back and neck start glowing. It's possible that when angered the secretion on its skin changes, hastening the maturity speed of the mould. However, upon calming down the bioluminscence fades yet the slime does not explode.

Behavior: Brachydios are highly territorial and aggressive, and as a result are generally solitary creatures. They mark their territory with explosions slime mould, with each explosion leaving behind an invisible residue with a faint odor. This odor is distinctive to each Brachydios. The territory of a battle-hardened Brachydios can be differentiated from a less experienced one by the concentration of the scent - more battles equates to more explosions, and thus a more noticable smell.

However, due to the size of a Brachydios's range, often taking up an entire volcano or tundra, they are unable to regularly scent-mark their territory. Thankfully, also due to the territory's extreme size, Brachydios rarely have ranges adjacent to each other. As a result fights between these (very literally) explosive monsters are few and far between.

On the off chance that two Brachydios do meet, despite their aggressiveness, these brute wyverns prefer not to engage in battle. Instead, they roar and slam their fists against the ground, showing off their aggression and explosive slime mould to each other. These displays of iridescent flames generally scare off surrounding monsters, and their roars can be heard from many miles away, echoing within vast cave systems. However, it is not unheard of to see Brachydios hunting in pairs, though it is suspected that in such a case, the two may be a mating pair, or that their target is a hunter.

When faced with a large monster of a different species, they will not hesitate to attack the monster, viewing it as either an aggressor or simply just prey. Their slime is fully capable of immediately killing monsters if it explodes within the monster's body, or if the explosion shatters bones or damages organs.

Habitat: The thick scales of a Brachydios allow it to withstand almost any type of weather condition. However, they seem to prefer extreme climates, either extreme heat in volcanoes, or extreme cold in tundras. They also prefer more rocky and/or mountainous regions, with little vegetation to hide prey and shelter rival large monsters like Zinogre.

Diet: Brachydios are entirely carnivorous, preferring to hunt and kill their own prey as opposed to feasting off carcasses. Their favourite food appears to be large herbivores, such as Aptonoth or Popo depending on the region. Prey is usually taken down by a quick leap, followed by a single smash that instantly kills by snapping the spine, or crippling it sufficiently for the Brachydios to land another hit.

Juvenile Brachydios also consume fleshy insects, amphibians and reptiles. As they are still small, they make up for their lack of brute strength with agility, allowing them to snatch small animals in their jaws with deft movements.

Reproduction: Brachydios have no clear mating season. Instead, whenever a female is in heat her explosions and droppings leave behind an additional scent. This scent is much lighter than the individual-specific scent, and can be carried on the wind to far-off territories. Males which pick up the scent trace it to the female's territory, often fighting other males in the process. Similar to territorial fights, the males are normally unhurt after confrontations, but the fights aid in weeding out weaker and younger males, allowing only the strongest to reach the female.

After mating, males will return to their home ranges, though some documented examples have shown that males will occasionally stay behind and aid in the protection of the clutch.

A clutch of around ten eggs is generally laid in a small slime-covered hole, incubated by the lava surrounding the cave or the mother herself, should her territory be in colder climates. The mother, and rarely the father, stand guard around the hole, though the slime mould interior is usually enough to deter scavengers, such as jaggi, even if the parents are not around.

After hatching the young are left to fend for themselves. But as a final parting present, the mother covers provides the young with a freshly-killed carcass, from which the young will obtain their first colony of slime mould.

Close relatives: Brachydios have no known physically-close relatives. However, the 'Raging' Brachydios may in fact be a subspecies, as opposed to the commonly held view of it being a mutant.

Encounter: Brachydios tend to wander quite a lot within their territory, thus meeting one requires both good timing and a bit of luck. But due to the above mentioned aggressiveness of Brachydios, one should not be willingly approached, unless the person is an experienced hunter or researcher. Should you encounter one, the best course of action is to hide, and hope the Brachydios avoids you. If you're caught out in the open, back away slowly and in a non-threatening manner. The Brachy, despite its enmity with humans, will likely ignore you.

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Hunting Information

Threat Level: A. Only experienced hunters should approach these wyverns, and the Guild will only hand out requests to hunters who are at least of rank 50. Even so, first-time hunters are often caught unaware by the Brachydios' surprising agility, and its unique attack style.

Tips: Always bring deodorants. The chemical within the deodorant, on top of neutralizing the stench ailment, can also kill the slime mould and thus prevent explosions. But pay close attention to the amount of slime mould on your body. Although deodorants prevent the explosion, successive application of slime will build up a thick layer that slows down a hunter's movements. On the other hand, some hunters prefer to roll to remove the slime, but this is not advisable especially if you happen to be in a volcanic region.

Regardless of which method you choose, it is best to dodge the punches. Unless the punch is blocked, it will likely smash bones and cause fatal internal injuries, even if the hit is a glancing one.

During battle, as a Brachydios' fists are its main method of attacking, steps should be taken to cripple them first. By chipping away the outer shell, the Brachydios will be unable to retain a substantial amount of slime mould on its fists, thus allowing for more openings for the hunter to attack.

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Taming Information

Comments: Difficult to find, let alone raise, juvenile Brachydios are rarely found in the wild due to their remarkable ability to hide in crevasses and blend into the surrounding rock. But even if one can be obtained, the rearing process is fraught with danger, especially due to the slime mould. Their hostile temperament further discourages rearing, and attempts to tame these solitary beasts generally fail.

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 **A/N: That's the first one! If any of you (if I even have readers) were wondering: "Why Brachydios?", let's just say my mind thought of the phrase "starting things off with a bang".**

 **That aside, what do you guys think? Admitted, it's not very long, though I hope to increase the content for later chapters. Did you know, slime mould actually do use mini explosions to scatter their spores, so if you extrapolate a bit, it's not unlikely for extremely exothermic explosions to occur, so long as the slime mould can somehow produce sufficient energy to fuel the dispersal. Check out some websites, slime mould isn't some random fungus. It's quite cool actually.**

 **I'm not too sure about the next chapter. I'm tempted to do a Ceadeus or Zinogre one, since those two gave me quite a bit of fun back in 3U.**

 **Read and review! Comments are always welcome.**

 **\- Omega Zekrom, 5/5/15**


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